42nd Session - 22 to 24 March 2022
42nd Session of the Congress: situation in Ukraine; local democracy in Germany, Luxembourg, Turkey and the United Kingdom; fake news, threats and violence against mayors in the current crises in Europe
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe held its 42nd Session from 22 to 24 March 2022, in Strasbourg, France. A debate on the situation in Ukraine took place on Tuesday afternoon, March 22nd, and the Congress adopted an institutional declaration. On this occasion,...
Council of Europe Congress condemns war against Ukraine and calls on Russian Federation to meet its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 22 March 2022 unanimously adopted a Declaration condemning the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine as a blatant breach of international law. The debate was preceded by a remote exchange of views with the Ukrainian...
Congress holds debates on the war in Ukraine, local democracy in Germany and involving children in sustainable development
“We are meeting at a time when a Council of Europe member state, Ukraine, is the victim of an act of war committed by a former member state, the Russian Federation, said Congress President Leedert Verbeek at the opening of the 42nd session. “This new reality has produced the opposite effect from...
Youth delegates participated in all the debates of the 42nd session of the Congress
A new promotion of young delegates took part in the work of the Congress, during its 42nd session, in Strasbourg (22-24 March 2022. Contributing to all the debates, the young representatives of 38 member countries transmitted a sensitive and critical look at the representation of youth, women,...
Congress looks at the situation of independent candidates and the opposition in local and regional elections
At its 42nd Plenary Session, the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities debated and voted on a thematic report on the situation of independent candidates and the opposition. In this report adopted on 23 March 2022, the Congress calls on local, regional and state authorities...
Debates on local democracy in the United Kingdom, election observation in Denmark and Morocco, and the role of local and regional authorities in the future of rural youth
On the third day of the 42nd Session, on 24 March 2022, the Congress adopted its second report on the United Kingdom’s application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. The report welcomes the UK’s adoption of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, allowing for the...
Local and regional elections in Denmark: High-level of public trust despite under-regulated campaign finances
At its 42nd Plenary Session, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation on local and regional elections in Denmark (16 November 2021) following an election observation mission carried out, for the first time ever in this country, from 13 to 17...
United Kingdom local authorities limited by over-regulation and funding issues, says Council of Europe Congress
The capacity of the United Kingdom local authorities to perform their tasks effectively is limited by over-regulation, “rather heavy” supervision by higher-level authorities and issues related to funding, according to the 46-nation Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities....
Deliberative methods: Council of Europe Congress calls for greater citizen participation beyond elections
Deliberative methods have become one of the most innovative ways of deepening citizens' participation in political decision-making and contribute to strengthening public trust in the political process, argued Karl-Heinz Lambertz (Belgium, SOC/V/DP), presenting a report adopted by the Congress of...
Municipal and regional elections in Morocco: Congress welcomes calm and transparent elections and highlights areas of improvement
Meeting at the 42nd Plenary Session, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted today a report on municipal and regional elections held in Morocco on 8 September 2021. The observation was conducted on-site in several regions of the country, following online...
Council of Europe Congress calls on local and regional authorities to provide a better future for rural youth
At its 42nd Session, the Congress adopted a report outlining the role of local and regional authorities in building a better future for rural youth, presented by co-rapporteurs Aida Jalilzade (Azerbaijan, ECR) and James Moloney (Ireland, ILDG). “All young people are facing challenges right now,...
Democratic pluralism in regional governance: relations between the majority and the opposition
If all democratic life implies a majority and an opposition, the rapport between the two groups must be based on a constructive dialogue rather than on a permanent confrontation: through several examples, the Chamber of Regions reminded, on Wednesday 23 March 2022, that the debate between the...
Council of Europe Congress highlights “generally degrading situation” of local democracy in Turkey
The 46-nation Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has reported a “generally degrading situation” with regard to local democracy in Turkey. In its latest report on Turkey’s application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, the Congress welcomes the impressive...
Local democracy in Luxembourg and Turkey, election observation in Georgia and Armenia, fake news and pressure on mayors, rural youth and democratic pluralism on the agenda of the 42nd session
Addressing the members of the Congress on the second day of the 42nd Session, on 23 March 2022, the President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Kox, welcomed the Congress Declaration on the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine. He deplored that Russian citizens will no...
Regions and diaspora: diaspora representation in host regions and relations with regions of origin
Continuing a cycle of debates begun in 2021 on the regions facing diasporas, the Chamber of Regions of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe took an interest, on Wednesday 23 March 2022, in the political representation of foreign diasporas in their host regions,...
Thematic debate: Fake news, threats and violence – pressure on mayors in the current crises in Europe
At the Spring Session of the Congress, the members of the Chamber of Local Authorities held a thematic debate, on 23 March 2022, entitled “Fake news, threats and violence - pressure on mayors in the current crises in Europe”. “Local and regional politicians, mayors and councillors are...
Local elections in Georgia: Congress recommends further levelling of the playing field, reducing polarisation and increasing participation of women
At its 42nd Plenary Session, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted, on 23 March 2022, a recommendation on local elections in Georgia (2 October 2021) following an election observation mission deployed by the Congress from 29 September to 3 October 2021....
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities calls on Luxembourg to go ahead with the communal reform
In a monitoring report on the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government published today, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities calls on Luxembourg to clearly delimit the powers of the State and the communes and to press ahead with the communal reform. The country...
Children and sustainable cities: Congress adopts guidelines for local and regional authorities
The Congress has published a new booklet on “How to make your town a better place” to raise children’s awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. The aim is to encourage 6- to 11-year-olds to get involved in the implementation of SDGs in their...
Germany: More financial autonomy for local authorities needed, despite high standards of local democracy observed, says Council of Europe’s Congress new report
A report adopted on 22 March 2022 by the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities welcomes "high standards" of local democracy and a "sophisticated legal framework" covering all aspects of local self-government in Germany. The report highlights, in particular, the strong...
Congress holds debates on the war in Ukraine, local democracy in Germany and involving children in sustainable development
“We are meeting at a time when a Council of Europe member state, Ukraine, is the victim of an act of war committed by a former member state, the Russian Federation, said Congress President Leedert Verbeek at the opening of the 42nd session. “This new reality has produced the opposite effect from...
Helping Ukraine - Cities4Cities- Agenda
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ENG - FR - DE - ITA - RU - Adopted texts ENG - FRA
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Multimedia (videos and photos)
Chamber of Regions
Election of one vice-president
Candidate:
- Antonija Jozić (Croatia, EPP/CCE) -
CV & letter of candidature
Governance Committee
Election of the 4th Vice-Chair
Candidate:
- Benoit PILET (France, ILDG) - CV & letter of candidature
In view of the decision of the Committee of Ministers of 16 March 2022, the Russian Federation ceases to be a member State of the Council of Europe as of 16 March 2022. The Congress website will be updated as soon as possible to reflect this new situation.
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